Michigan Pot Arrests Are Trending Up

[bobandtorey]

At a time when surveys indicate a majority of Michigan residents support legalizing pot, arrests for marijuana possession or use are increasing — even as arrests for other crimes are going down, according to data collected by the Michigan State Police.

Between 2008 and 2014, arrests for marijuana possession or use went up 17 percent statewide, that data shows, while arrests for all crimes dropped by 15 percent.

One possible reason: Federal health surveys indicate marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, and the number of regular users has been increasing.

In 2013, about 7.5 percent of Americans age 12 or older had used marijuana in the past month, according the 2015 federal Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Below are other highlights from the Michigan arrest data, which was collected by the State Police from local and county enforcement agencies.

Database: 2014 marijuana arrests by county
County -- All countiesAlconaAlgerAlleganAlpenaAntrimArenacBaragaBarryBayBenzieBerrienBranchCalhounCassCharlevoixCheboyganChippewaClareClintonCrawfordDeltaDickinsonEatonEmmetGeneseeGladwinGogebicGrand TraverseGratiotHillsdaleHoughtonHuronInghamIoniaIoscoIronIsabellaJacksonKalamazooKalkaskaKentKeweenawLakeLapeerLeelanauLenaweeLivingstonLuceMackinacMacombManisteeMarquetteMasonMecostaMenomineeMidlandMissaukeeMonroeMontcalmMontmorencyMuskegonNewaygoOaklandOceanaOgemawOntonagonOsceolaOscodaOtsegoOttawaPresque IsleRoscommonSaginawSaint ClairSaint JosephSanilacSchoolcraftShiawasseeTuscolaVan BurenWashtenawWayneWexford

Online Database by Caspio

 

1. The vast majority of marijuana arrests are for possession or use.

In 2014, there were 20,483 arrests for marijuana use or possession, which was 86 percent of all marijuana arrests. About 10 percent of the other arrests are for selling the drug, and the remainder are for "producing" the drug, smuggling or "other."

Arrests related to marijuana are about two-thirds of all drug arrests in Michigan and in 2014 were 9 percent of all criminal arrests.

2. A disproportionate number of those arrested for marijuana-related crimes are between the ages of 18 and 24.

About 43 percent of those arrested in 2014 for marijuana were age 18 to 24. The breakdown for other age groups: 26 percent were age 25 to 34; 11 percent were age 35 to 44; 9 percent were under 18; 7 percent were age 45 to 54, and 3 percent were sage 55 or older.

The federal drug survey indicates that marijuana use is highest among young adults. In fact, 24 percent of male and 17 percent of female female full-time college students age 18 to 22 use marijuana, the survey shows.

3. The vast majority of those arrested in marijuana cases are men.

Men comprised 83 percent of marijuana arrests in 2014, which is disproportionate compared to their rate of usage.

About 9.7 percent of American males age 12 and older are users of marijuana compared to 5.6 percent of women, according to a 2013 federal survey on drug use.  

That means men are 1.7 times more likely to use marijuana, but are five times more likely to be arrested on marijuana charges.

4. African-Americans are a disproportionate number of marijuana arrests.

An African-American in Michigan was three times more likely to be arrested in 2014  for violating marijuana laws compared to a white person, although surveys and research indicate little difference between usage rates between the two groups.

In all, African-Americans comprise about 14 percent of Michigan's population, but 35 percent of marijuana arrests.

5. Among counties with at least 50,000 residents, Berrien County had the highest number of arrests per capita and neighboring Cass County had the lowest in 2014.

On average, there were about 2.4 marijuana arrests per 1,000 Michigan residents statewide. By comparison, the arrest rate in Berrien County was 4.6 per 1,000 residents compared to 0.6 in Cass County.

Among all counties, Keweenaw County had only one marijuana arrest in 2014, making it the county with the lowest marijuana arrest rate. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, Crawford County — which includes Grayling — had 237 marijuana arrests in 2014 for an eye-popping rate of 17.2 arrests per 1,000 residents.

6. Since 2011, 21 Michigan cities have voted on legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana.

Initiatives to decriminalize marijuana have been approved in 15 communities: Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing,  Flint, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Port Huron, East Lansing, Mount Pleasant, Ypsilanti, Berkeley, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Oak Park and Pleasant Ridge.

Such ballot proposals were voted down in six communities: Frankfort, Clare, Harrison, Lapeer, Onaway and Montrose.

On Nov. 3, Portage residents in Kalamazoo County will be voting on a proposal to decriminalize marijuana. 

The MiLegalize is seeking to put a proposal on the November 2016 ballot to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana in Michigan.

7. Decriminalization initiatives have had mixed impact on arrests in those communities.

Six communities — Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Flint and Ypsilanti — passed decriminalization initiatives before 2014.

Based on arrests in those cities for marijuana use or possession in 2011 compared to 2014, the initiatives had mixed impact.

The most dramatic changed occurred in Grand Rapids, where arrests for marijuana use or possession dropped from 952 in 2011 to 93 in 2014.

The numbers also dropped significantly between 2011 and 2014 in the city of Kalamazoo, from 327 to 166.

In Detroit, arrests dropped from 1,297 to 974 during the three-year period.

Arrests for marijuana use or possession actually went up in Lansing and Ypsilanti. Lansing had 73 arrests for marijuana use or possession in 2011, compared to 79 in 2014. In Ypsilanti, arrests went from 74 to 88 during that time frame.

8. Daily or almost use of marijuana is increasing, the 2013 federal drug survey shows.

In 2013, 8.1 million persons aged 12 or older used marijuana on 20 or more days in the past month, which was an increase from the 5.1 million daily or almost daily past month users in 2005 to 2007. The number of daily or almost daily users in 2013 represented 41.1 percent of past month marijuana users, the survey shows.

 

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2015/10/michigan_pot_arrests_are_trend.html

[Wild Bill]

So the law is working as it was intended. It incarcerates minority groups and brings young people into the prison industrial system.